Owa-Onire Community Urges Governor AbdulRasaq to Reconsider New Road Project

Date: 2024-05-14

According to a news report from New Telegraph, residents of Owa-Onire community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State have called upon Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to abandon plans for constructing a 21-kilometre road leading to Owu Waterfalls, deeming it unnecessary expenditure.

In a statement issued by the Concerned Indigenes of Owa-Onire community, jointly signed by coordinator Mr. Adebola Ogunbiyi and spokesperson Sunday Akanbi, the community suggested that the government should instead focus on completing the original route to the waterfall, which was initiated in 2008 under the administration of former Governor Bukola Saraki.

This plea comes just three days after the state executive council sanctioned a new contract for the construction of a 21-kilometre road to Owu Falls, with an initial phase costing over N3.9 billion.

According to the community members, the original contract initiated by Saraki's administration is already 20% completed, advocating for its continuation rather than launching a fresh project for the same purpose.

The group added that the initial contractor, “Bulletine construction company Nigeria Limited has worked and asphalted three kilometres of the 15-kilometre Owu-falls road project.

“Only three kilometres out of the 15km road stretch (representing only 20 per cent) from Iwo/Sabaja-Isin to Oba-Isin was tarred while the remaining 12-km from Oba-Isin-Owa-Onire-Owu falls was only opened up to the foot of the waterfall and eventually abandoned since 2010 after millions of Naira had been committed to the project”, they said.

The people said that the state government was deceived into awarding another contract by some politicians they described as selfish.

“In terms of distance, the remaining 12-km road is shorter than the fresh 21-km road with a difference of 9km. This 12-km road from Owa-Onire leads right to the foot of the falls without having to alight from vehicle and trek certain hilly distance, unlike the other proposed road.

“Not less than 10 communities along this 12km linear road will have it pass through them and benefit directly (Ijara-Isin, Iji-Isin, Owu-lsin, Sabaja-Isin, Oba-Isin and Owa-Onire) or serve indirectly (lwo-Isin, Kudu Owode, Pamo-lsin, Odo-Ore) and could prompt swift growth in their social-economic development.

“The geophysical nature of the 12km 0ba-Isin-Owa-Onire Owu-Falls road makes it less hilly thereby making its construction less laborious unlike the other proposed road”, they posited.

“In terms of cost of construction, one needs no soothsayer to know that the short distance of 12km 0ba-Isin-Owa-Onire-Owu-Falls road with easy geophysical nature will certainly have its cost of construction reduced to the barest minimum as compared to a longer 21-km road with more mountainous hilly terrain.

“More glaring is the fact that the 12km Oba-Isin-Owa-Onire-Owu-Falls road has been in use and is currently still in use by tourists to visit the great Water Falls”, they argued.

They reminded the Governor of his promise on Sunday, December 15, 2019 to complete the abandoned 15km road.

“We see this as very unfair and we abhor it. In view of all the above highlighted reasons, Owa-Onire Community is hereby appealing to Governor AbdulRazaq and the innermost conscience of the state government to revisit the issue of Owu-Falls road construction project with a view to righting the wrongs by also awarding the construction and completion of this 12km Oba-Isin-Owa-Onire-Owu-Falls road to a serious and competent contractor that will ensure its completion with fiat to avoid a repeat of the abandonment it suffered during the former Governor Bukola Saraki administration.

Recall that Owu falls is the highest waterfall in West Africa measuring 120 metres above water level and cascading 330 feet down an escarpment a major boost for tourism in not just the state but in Nigeria and West Africa subregion.

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Abdulganiyu AbdulAzeez     Jamiu Oyawoye     Oja-Oba     David Adesina     Modibbo Kawu     Ibrahim Abiodun     Erubu Oba Zubair     Afusat Nike Ibrahim     Matthew Babaoye     National Broadcasting Commission     AbdulRasaq Abdulmajeed Alaro     KSIRS     Saka Saadu     Yusuf Abdulraheem     Bisi Kristien     Kwara     CCT     Irepodun     Afolasade Opeyemi Kemi     Abdulsalam A. Yusuf     Onilorin Of Ilorin     Kumbi Titiloye     Kayode Oyin-Zubair     Omoniyi Ayinla     Mary Kemi Adeosun     Olatomiwa Williams     Amuda Bembe     Shettima     Jeunkunu-Malete-Bani     Revenue Court     Bola Shagaya     Olabanji Orilonishe     Adebayo Mohammed Kamaldeen     Mutawalle     Salihu Yahaya     Sa\'ad Alanamu     UTME     Azeez Bello     Makama Of Kaiama     Gbenga Adebayo     Alikinla     Fatai Garuba Labaka     BECE     Islamiya Abdulraheem     Abubakar Bature Sulu-Gambari     Aminat Omodara     First Lady     Pakata     Kulende     Ahman Patigi     Olatunji Moronfoye     AbdulFatai Adeniyi Dan-Kazeem     Transition Implementation Committee     Ilorin Innovation Hub     Issa Memunat Moyosore     Wasiu Onidugbe     Dairo Kunle Paul     Saudat Abdulbaqi     Ilorin     Dar-Al-Handasah Consultants     Afetu Of Alabe     Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq     Lateef Alagbonsi     Yoonus Kola Olatinwo     A.E. Afolabi     Abdulhakeem Adelaja Amao     Kwasu     Ojuekun Sarumi     Alabe     Adeola Abraham     Saad Omo\'ya     Arinola Fatimoh Lawal     Kwara State University Of Education     Ayinke Saka     Olatunde Michaels     Mohammed Katsina Ahmed     Bilikisu Gambari    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Femi Agbaje     Mohammed Lawal Bagega     Lawyers Unite Against Corruption     Aiyedun     Oya State     Olaiya Zuberu     Michael Nzekwe     Ajia-Bako     KWSIEC     Ilorin South     Afonja     HAMFAT Clinic And Maternity     Abdulrahman Iliasu     Sango-UITH Road     Saba Jibril     Muhammed Mahe Abdulkadir     Gafaru Olayiwola Olorisade     Ashiru     Jumoke F. Ajao     AbdulRazaq Jiddah     Lai Mohammed     Bukola Saraki     Segun Adeniyi     Kwara State Branch Of The National Library     Bola Sagaya     Obuh     Jimba Babatunde     Ibrahim Orire     Haliru Dantoro     College Of Health     Apaokagi     Osi     KWIRS     Abatemi Usman     Otunba Taiwo Joseph     Elerin Of Adanla Irese     Ilorin Talaka Parapo (ITP)     Awili Pedro     Atiku Abubakar     Forgo Battery     Ileloke     Charcoal     Fatai Garuba Labaka     State Bureau Of Internal Revenue     Kazeem Adekanye     Kaosarah Adeyi     Igbaja     Goodluck Jonathan     Frootify     The Herald     Aremu Odolaye     Elekoyangan     NaAllah     Ishaq Abdulkarim     Suleiman Alege Kuranga     Galadima     VADA     Saidu Yaro Musa     Stephen Fasakin     Oba Abdulraheem     Jelili Yusuf     Tanke Road     Alabi Olayemi Abdulrazak     Tricycle Owners Association Of Nigeria     Baba Issa     Alao Ayotunde     Bola Tinubu     Oniyangi Kunle Sulaiman     Egbewole     Adebayo Salami     Kehinde Boyede     Yomi Ogunsola     Rafiu Olasile     Nnazua     Inside Kwara     Economic And Financial Crimes Commission     Aliyu Olatunji Ajanaku